Ask Sam letter

To Sam8 September 2017

1-2-1 Counsellors

Hi Sam, I was just wondering how likely is it that someone will talk to the same counsellor twice if they go to chat soon after they recently did? So like, how many counsellors are working at the 1-2-1 chats at one time during the day? I was just wondering because I sometimes worry that if, after a session, I go to the waiting room to talk about a different subject, I would find it awkward if I had the same counsellor that I just had!

Thanks

Sam12 September 2017

Hi there,

It's unlikely that you will talk to the same person twice. But if you do, the counsellor will always be there to listen. What they want most is for you to feel supported. When talking to Childline it's really important to us that you feel comfortable, no matter who you talk to.

We understand that young people may need to talk about different things and to have separate conversations. It's always okay to ask for a different counsellor, and we will try to make that happen if possible. Sometimes young people might ask to talk to the same person they have spoken to before. We don't usually allow this because it's important that you feel able to talk to any counsellor at any time. If you have the same counsellor again by chance, that's usually okay.

All counsellors should treat you the same, no matter what you'd like to talk about. Sometimes they might suggest taking a break if you’ve had lots of chats in a short space of time. That's only because it's important to give you time to think about each conversation with Childline and what it might mean.